My writing class told me that I had to add anvils to my story. I don't want to. Does anyone have any suggestions for revising a fairy tale-ish story so that people who don't read fairy tales, or remember them, will be familiar with the allusions? And I'm not talking about more obscure fairy tales like The Six Swans, but fairy tales like Jack and the Bean Stalk. (Is bean stalk one word or two? Hmm.)
Yeah, but you're an amateur fry cook and I come from a long line of fry cooks that don't live past 25.
Buffy ,'Showtime'
The Great Write Way
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Alibelle - Nov 06, 2002 9:22:37 pm PST #174 of 10001
Apart from sports, "my secret favorite thing on earth is ketchup. I will put ketchup on anything. But it has to be Heinz." - my husband, Michael Vartan
DavidS - Nov 06, 2002 10:34:40 pm PST #175 of 10001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Does anyone have any suggestions for revising a fairy tale-ish story so that people who don't read fairy tales, or remember them, will be familiar with the allusions?
Sure. You can toss off a few background details which reinforce the fairytale connection. Jack the Giant Killer. Beans. Cow. Stalk. "Stalking a cow across a bean field with jack cheese." Just throw that sentence in there and they no longer have an excuse to not get it.
Alibelle - Nov 06, 2002 10:41:23 pm PST #176 of 10001
Apart from sports, "my secret favorite thing on earth is ketchup. I will put ketchup on anything. But it has to be Heinz." - my husband, Michael Vartan
The fairy tale connection is explicitly stated, and I've referenced the fairy tales. People just wanted in-story synopses. I think I've just talked myself into ignoring their ignorant butts. It's not my fault if they don't remember basic fairy tales. If they don't get the allusion, that's their loss.
DavidS - Nov 06, 2002 10:50:45 pm PST #177 of 10001
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
If they don't get the allusion, that's their loss.
That's true. Personally, I prefer the subtle allusion. The off-the-cuff, glancing, slight, illuminating, interesting, tricky allusion. Not so big on the "I've rewritten Les Miserables as a Law and Order episode" way.
Alibelle - Nov 06, 2002 10:57:09 pm PST #178 of 10001
Apart from sports, "my secret favorite thing on earth is ketchup. I will put ketchup on anything. But it has to be Heinz." - my husband, Michael Vartan
Yay! Validation. Yeah, subtle allusions are much better.
Connie Neil - Nov 07, 2002 12:20:20 am PST #179 of 10001
brillig
Second on the validation. They're not so much fairy tales as cultural touchstones, anyway. If they don't understand the basic metaphors of Western civilizaton, you alone aren't going to fix it.
Rebecca Lizard - Nov 07, 2002 7:26:21 am PST #180 of 10001
You sip / say it's your crazy / straw say it's you're crazy / as you bicycle your soul / with beauty in your basket
I'll validate you, Ali, too. I think they're wrong.
erikaj - Nov 07, 2002 8:20:52 am PST #181 of 10001
Always Anti-fascist!
I think they are *deeply* stupid, and probably still need to be reminded to wash their hands. But don't lead with that, unless you hate them.
Alibelle - Nov 07, 2002 4:51:46 pm PST #182 of 10001
Apart from sports, "my secret favorite thing on earth is ketchup. I will put ketchup on anything. But it has to be Heinz." - my husband, Michael Vartan
Well, I don't greatly respect their opinions, but I don't hate them. And despite the quote up in the right hand corner, I'm accepting all validation. Thanks, guys.
Am-Chau Yarkona - Nov 08, 2002 3:13:38 am PST #183 of 10001
I bop to Wittgenstein. -- Nutty
More validation- I vastly prefer the subtle allusion. The one even people who recognise it have to take a second to think about before they're sure they've got it. Of course, if you do it too often- like me- you tend to sound insufferably clever or trying to sound overly educated, like Thomas Hardy, but that isn't as bad as making it to obvious.